Puzzle Board Blocking Grooves for Always-Solvable Setups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing puzzles with adjustable initial arrangements are limited in game modes and require precise manual setups, often leading to unsolvable situations if incorrectly arranged, and players must rely on instructions which can be lost.
Innovation Solution
A puzzle board with movable blocking pieces that allow flexible initial arrangements, ensuring a solution exists for any configuration by adjusting blocking piece positions, and the pieces are fixed to their grooves to prevent accidental repositioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a puzzle board with recesses and protrusions is used to prevent piece loss, then piece stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The board is segmented into multiple recesses that can individually hold different puzzle pieces. Each recess is a separate structural element that can be molded independently, allowing for complex overall functionality while using simple repeating units. This segmentation allows the board to provide stable piece retention without requiring a monolithic complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The puzzle pieces are nested within the recesses of the board, with each piece fitting into its designated compartment. The blocking pieces are similarly nested within the same recess structure. This nesting arrangement provides stable piece retention while using a simple recess-based framework rather than complex interlocking mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If blocking pieces are added to prevent premature viewing of puzzle sections, then puzzle difficulty and engagement are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking pieces serve multiple functions: they can block off completed puzzle sections to prevent premature viewing, they can be removed to reveal finished areas, and they can be used to create progressive puzzle challenges. This multi-functionality provides gameplay versatility without requiring different types of blocking mechanisms for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking pieces act as intermediaries between the puzzle solver and the completed puzzle sections. Rather than having the board structure itself provide the blocking function (which would increase board complexity), the separate blocking pieces serve as movable mediators that can be placed and removed as needed, providing gameplay control without permanent structural complexity.
3Reliability
If recesses with drainage holes are used to prevent water damage, then puzzle durability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage holes are designed to be visually imperceptible when filled with puzzle pieces, as the piece material masks the hole openings. This allows the recesses to have drainage functionality without requiring high-precision hole placement that would be visible or affect the aesthetic appearance of the finished puzzle.
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage holes are simple geometric features that can be easily replicated during the molding process. Rather than requiring complex precision machining, the holes are formed as standard features in the mold cavities, allowing for consistent reproduction across multiple boards without high manufacturing precision requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Puzzle board having regular positions forming a two-dimensional field and a set of accompanying puzzle pieces, comprising a number of spheres connected to each other in a mono-axial, biaxial-orthogonal or hexaxial pattern, wherein each position is provided with a circular opening in the puzzle board, wherein the spheres correspond to the openings in the puzzle board, and wherein it is intended as a puzzle to cover all positions with the available set of puzzle pieces wherein the puzzle board has one or more blocking grooves, wherein the blocking grooves connect the openings of multiple adjacent positions of the puzzle board, and wherein each blocking groove comprises a blocking piece, movable through the blocking groove and intended for blocking a position of the puzzle board in the blocking groove, and wherein the location of the blocking grooves on the puzzle board is determined such that the puzzle always has at least one solution for each blocking arrangement.